


" The Covenant"

by wonderflonium



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, F/M, I've replaced Season 3 with the characters watching a television show that mirrors season 3, M/M, Mates, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Post Season 2 AU, chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderflonium/pseuds/wonderflonium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and Derek are an established couple.  The pack's territory is stable.  For pack night, everyone gets tired of Supernatural so they begin watching a new show called "The Covenant", which is a tv show spun off of the 2007 movie about boy witches.  The show parallels Stiles' and Dereks' relationship...until it doesn't.  Drama ensues.  Season 3 sucks, read end notes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow this is so complicated. Read the chapter tags.

2 years ago

"Hey Derek, remember that movie a few years back with all the hot sexy shirtless guys? It was called " The Covenant"?

Derek contemplated Stiles' moles.

" Not really. What year did it come out?"

"Uuuummmm, I think maybe I was 12, so probably 2007?"

Pain flashed through Derek, and Stiles' mouth dropped to the floor. Immediately he knew his mistake.

" First of all, I was in New York with Laura and things weren't so great. Second, movies were not a priority at the time, and third, hot guys? You were 12 and wasn't Lydia your thing then?"

Stiles fidgeted. Shit, he thought.

"Yeah, I didn't know it at the time, but when I look back, yeah, it turned me on before I even knew what being turned on was. "

Derek was quiet. "Huh".

 

Things had been quiet in beacon Hills for a while. Derek had established his territory with his betas. Scott, Stiles, and Allison had been folded into the pack and were considered allies. truth be told, they were one pack with 2 alphas. One of the alphas was just a bit physically stronger.

Derek kept quietly contemplating Stiles' moles.

"What brought this up, Stiles?"

"Dude!"

Derek sighed.

"Stiles, I've gotten over telling you to not call me dude, but still. I'm your boyfriend, dude is a little disrespectful. Not to mention that I'm your alpha. Just saying."

"Sorry du...I mean Derek. Okay. So....for pack night everyone is getting tired of the bullshit going on over at Supernatural. Soooooo...."The Covenant" has been turned into a television show and I was thinking that for the next pack night we could begin watching, and it's cool if you don't want to, but I really do, and boyfriend of mine...pleeeaaasssseeee......?"

Derek raised the left eyebrow of doom.

Heavy sigh.

"Stiles, of course. It's just a pack meeting. The bonding is important, I don't really care what we do as long as it's together."

Stiles' dimples get more pronounced.

"Derek?"

"Yes Stiles?"

"Can I suck your face now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be straight up honest about this. I have a lot of anger about season 3 and how the show runners have handled the Sterek relationship. This WIP fic is kinda my way of dealing with this. In January, I broke my ankle BADLY, and as I live alone, Sterek fic kinda kept my sane. So....apologies? Also, gonna be exactly as many chapters as the first half of S03.


	2. Tattoo/Chaos rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First and Second chapter, season 3

2 years later

"Stiles, I know you are excited for pack night this week, but seriously, you need to rein it in."

Stiles' eyebrows crawled up his forehead, emphasizing his longer hair.

"Derek! Seriously? You know the show creator Jed Donnis said publicly that if enough encouragement occurred that he would make Caleb/Karl canon! Boyfriend o' mine, that's you and me! How the Hell do you expect me to not be excited about this show? A slash couple has never been made canon ever, so you and everyone else are just gonna have to get over the awesome excitement that is me right now!"

Mondays generally were lighter homework nights than other weeknights, so by default they became "Covenant" nights. This Monday, while they hung out and waited for the pizza to arrive, Jackson had picked out Rob Zombie for the music. Asshole had Zombie singing "More Human" in the background. Asshole thinks he's funny.

"Stiles". Isaac interrupts his conversation with Erica and Boyd to address the spastic teenager. "We missed out last week, which, I know, I know, is part of the reason you are bouncing off of the walls right now. But seriously, we have both Tattoo and Chaos Rising. Satisfied?"

"Isaac, brother of mine, you and the rest of our pack are the bestest of all the best! Bring it on!"

**********

Pack night was even better than usual. Pizza and Covenant nights were always the best. Also, the first episode of season 3, Tattoo, was great.

"Hey Scott!", Stiles called out. "You totally wouldn't have the guts to get banded tattoos on your arms". The pack regularly refers to each other as characters on the show. The next episode began and Scott and the pack couldn't hold in the snickering. Everyone was side-eyeing Derek and Stiles, while not very subtly pretending they weren't. Finally, Scott burst out "Stiles! You're about to lose your virginity!"

"Ha ha funny buddy, at least there's gonna be some good wine with my deflowering. Besides, we all know I'll be losing my V-card to Caleb. I mean, Donnis said that if there was enough demand that Karl and Caleb would end up together, right? Karleb has won enough contests, not to mention that the Karleb website got enough donations to support 1000 acres of the Beacon Hills National Forest, right? So yeah, that blonde girl is so not taking my counterparts' virginity. We all know who's taking that.

Sneakily, while this speech is going on, Derek is sliding closer and closer. The moment the last word is out of Stiles' mouth, Derek pounces, dragging Stiles into his lap and tickling him mercilessly.

"Derek, stop! Please stop!"

Across the room, Lydia arches a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at them. " Whatever, Stilinski, we know who took your actual V-card".

The tv erupts with noise. Wine bottles begin exploding. The blonde gets sucked out the window.

Noone is surprised, because obviously Karl wasn't losing his virginity to her. Everyone knew that Caleb was waiting.


	3. Fireflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teen Wolf Season 3 episode 3 au

Things were pretty great for  the pack.  Senior year was coming to an end, and everyone got into Berkeley or Stanford, so they would be close to each other and close to home.  Earlier in the year, Stiles had gotten over his fear of his father being hurt if dad knew about the supernatural.  So he told him.  Things were rough for a while, especially when the Sheriff put 2 and 2 together and realized that Stiles had been dating Derek for a while.  Stiles was 18 now, but that didn't prevent months of the sheriff threatening Derek.  It was funny, except when it wasn't.  Stiles had been feeling extremely insecure about going away to school, so his father's threats, combined with his age and being a guy, combined with  Dereks' general hotness, contributed to a very serious fear that their separation would end their relationship.  The Sheriff eased up on his threats as he perceived how dedicated his son was to the wolf, but Stiles anxiety did not ease up.

So Stiles being Stiles, he ignored this problem.  He was a fan of this approach.

Unfortunately, while ignoring it, he kept putting more and more importance onto the Karleb relationship from " The covenant".  He began equating  his and Derek's relationship to the Karleb relationship on the show.

The pack saw what was going on.  Hell, Derek and the Sheriff saw what was going on and everyone knew this was a Stiles coping mechanism.  To them, this seemed harmless.  I mean, come on, it was pretty clear where this was going.  There was huge public support, and the showrunners had implied that with that support, this could happen.  So no problem, right?  At worst, this wouldn't happen this season, but that was fine.  Stiles would go off to school, he would have the pack, he would be able to come home and see his dad and Derek a few times a semester, and he would keep watching the show and everything would be fine.  He'd relax, and whether or not Caleb and Karl developed in the future, he would see that Derek and him were fine.  

 

*****************

 

The pack meeting on the night that episode 3 aired was held at Scotts' house.  Melissa, after her first adverse reaction, had become extremely supportive of her son and all of his friends.  The McCalls only hosted pack nights every few months, and Melissa went all out.  There was no take out or delivery.  She cooked.  And damn, could she cook.

 

*****************

 

"Stiles!", Melissa screamed.  She puncutated this by smacking him on the head with her wooden spoon.

"What are you, an animal?"  she asked.

Stiles snickered.

"You're not allowed to put your fingers into the food !".

"Sorry, Melissa" he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.  He'd stopped calling her Ms. McCall quite a while ago,  He really wanted to call her mom McCall, but didn't think anyone would be comfortable with that.  Wow, and that thought just made him sad.  

While Stiles stood there contemplating his shoes, being sad about both his and Scott's single parenthood, he felt strong arms engulf his torso.  Then a nose snuffled behind his left ear.  Despite his sad demeanor, the snuffles brought out giggles.  The giggles seriously erupted from his  throat with full on glee.  

Stiles' eyebrows rose.  " Hey there Caleb, I mean Derek.  Sorry, was just checking out the awesome food Melissa is making for us."

Derek snuffled a  bit more.  "Stiles, haven't you learned that you never mess with the cook?  Why don't you come mess with me instead?" he said loudly, intending for everyone to hear.  Groans  come loudly from the living room.  Suddenly, Melissa smacks Derek upside his head with her wooden spoon.  

"Not in my house Hale!" she shouts.  Derek snickers, again.

 

*******************

 

2 hours, 2 pans of lasagna, 3 bowls of salad and an extremely large cheesecake later, they all settle in for episode 3, Fireflies.

 

The rest of the night is Stiles' commentary.

 

"Oooooah, small children on a horror show.  I love it when small children bite it!  Hey!  Don't look at me like that, I'm talking about fiction!"

 

"Oh man, camping lesbians under candlelight?  That's not gonna end well."

"  Damn, Pogue saved the small children.  Scott?  for future references for my sensibilities, let the small children bite it.  It just adds to the dramatic tension."

 

"Oh Lydia,  I know you're bummed that the TV show switched Sara's love interest to Tyler, but you're just gonna have to deal.  Sorry that Jackson representing Tyler isn't near as hot as Derek as Caleb, but whatever, fictional character or real life, hands off!"

 

"Hey Lyds, Karl and Sara make a great team!  They find bodies!  They bond!  Karl is finally over his totally bullshit crush on Sara!"

 

 

 


	4. Unleashed

The next week's pack meeting took place at the Stilinskis'. The Sheriff was working a shift that night but would be coming home during the show.

It was Chinese carryout night and Scott and Stiles commenced the "Great Eggroll Challenge of 2013".

"Guys, if you're really gonna do this, I don't want to be in the same room," Derek tells them.

"Boyfriend of mine, you seriously don't want to miss me shoving eggrolls down my throat. It would be an image that would sexually haunt you for the rest of your life!"

"Stiles, that's exactly what I'm afraid of", Derek replies.

"I hate you both," groans Scott.

Stiles totally wins the contest.

 

**********

 

After dinner, the pack settles into the Stilinski living room. Danny, who doesn't always join them, starts the show. Stiles' commentary ensues.

"Awwww man....hot guy, dark alley, trash bin, this isn't gonna.....well that was predictable. At least he got eaten next to a vet's clinic so the dog'll be okay. It's always most important that the dog is okay."

"Okay, I'm getting kinda tired of this teacher being involved. I mean, why does anyone care? So Caleb saved her life, of course he did, he's THAT GUY, but then why does he have to go back and talk to her?"

"Oh My God! Did Pogue just tell Karl that his boss makes him have sex with all of his clients? When did Pogue develop a sarcastic sense of humor and why hasn't this spontaneously blossomed in you, Scott? You gotta keep up with your counterpart, Scotty!"

"Okay, the virgin thing is starting to worry me for Karl. I mean, seriously? And by the way Danny, isn't it kinda handy that your compatible character is also named Danny? And hey Danny, shitty thing for your character to do to my character, teasing me like that. I mean, well, I might go for you if it wasn't for Derek, but the Fates have totally decreed that Karl will lose his virginity to Caleb, so stop teasing me like that!"

Concerned glances were passed around. Stiles was oblivious.

'Again! Oh My God! Pogue waffles between Karl and Tyler? Karl clearly is the more level headed about how the guy with the puppy dog at the clinic died! Sorry Isaac, your representative character clearly has PTSD issues, and Scott, how dare you choose his side over mine!"

More concerned glances were passed around. More oblivion occurred.

" Finally, a fight. The other witch coven is gonna get their asses kicked by Caleb and his siste-What the fuck? Derek, did that evil bitch just stick a pipe through Caleb's chest?"

The sheriff chose this exact moment to walk into the room, having just come home from his shift.

"Stiles, languag-".  
He stopped.

"Stiles, are you okay? It's just a show-".

"Dad, later please," Stiles whispered into Derek's shoulder. Derek pulled Stiles closer while the boy wrapped his hands around his boyfriend's neck.

Isaac had paused the show while the sheriff talked to his progeny. The sheriff looked over the pack and saw only concern and support. They all understood where this was coming from, and all understood that it was best to let this play out.

Silently, inside his head, the sheriff heaped curses on the heads of the showrunners of "The Covenant". His son had chosen a difficult life with the friends he had been given. Stiles used this show to not think about his actual life. The sheriff had a bad premonition that things were going to go South.

"Oh man, they're not going to...shit they are! Guys, did the witches just off Harris? Yes! Not only did they off him, but they hit him on the head, strangled him, and slit his throat! All of my fictional bloody fantasies for our chemistry teacher just came true!"


	5. Frayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Scott talk to Stiles. The pack watches s03e05 of The Covenant

A few days later, Scott and Stiles are hanging out at Scott's house playing Halo when the doorbell rings. Scott goes to answer and returns with Derek.  
"Hey Stiles," Derek says.  
Stiles doesn't even pause his play.  
"Okay, 2 things Derek. First, when did you learn how to use a doorbell not to mention an actual door? Second, I think you've been in Scott's house entirely once, so why the Hell did you just randomly appear here while I was in residence?"  
Derek and Scott side eye each other.  
" See Stiles, Derek and I kinda feel like we need to talk to you about some things," Scott answers.  
Derek silently nods his head.  
Stiles finally pauses his game and turns around to face his best friend and his boyfriend.  
"What gives?" he asks.  
Scott leads. "Well, first of all, on The Covenant, the chemistry teacher's name is Michael Schultz."  
"Scott, what does that even mean?" Stiles asks.  
Scott fidgets uncomfortably. " Well, when we were watching on Monday you couldn't control your glee over the witches killing Harris?"  
Stiles looks confused for a moment. " Scott, that's our chemistry teacher." he replies.  
"Exactly." Scott says.  
Stiles still looks confused. Then he just shrugs. "Dude, no biggy, I just made a mistake."  
Derek (finally) interjects. "Stiles, you've been doing that a lot lately."  
"What do you mean?" Stiles asks.  
"Well, you talk about Karl as your favorite character and then refer to him as you."  
"I totally don't do that!" Stiles angrily interjects.  
"Stiles," Derek replies," Monday you totally got mad at Danny for the show's Danny jokingly offering to take Karl's virginity! Then you got annoyed with Isaac and Scott for Tyler and Pogue agreeing about something that Karl disagreed with!"  
Stiles begins to squirm.  
Derek sighs." Stiles, then you almost had a panic attack on me when Caleb had that pipe stuck through his chest."  
Stiles shrinks into himself. "What are you guys saying to me?" he asks quietly.  
Derek walks over and grabs Stiles hand and leads him to the couch. Derek sits on one side, and Scott drops down on the other. Derek places a hand on the back of Stiles neck and Scott grabs one of Stiles hands.  
" Stiles," Derek says," Everything is going to be okay. You will go away to school but nothing about you and I will change. Your dad will be fine, I'll keep an eye on him and the pack will be fine. I love you for you, warts and all, and NOTHING will change that. Also, your dad is concerned-"  
"Wait, whoah. Dad talked to you about this? Don't answer that. You all are totally overreacting! I'm fine, I'm not worried about anything, and you're coming down on me because I participate in some harmless enjoyment of a TV show?"  
"Stiles, just-"  
"NO you just, NO!"  
The teen's heartbeat had roughly doubled. Scott and Derek looked at each other, troubled.  
"Guys," Stiles says," I'm fine, nothing is wrong, you are just reading too much into this. I swear."  
Derek sighs. "Alright, Stiles, just, please, everything is going to be okay."

**********

The next Monday the pack meeting is very interestingly at the Argent's. Chris greets everyone politely at the door. Stiles doesn't think there's anything creepy about that AT ALL.

When Derek and Stiles ring the doorbell Chris opens the door and then everyone just stands there awkwardly.

"Derek, Stiles, welcome."  Chris says, while not actually moving away and allowing them inside.

"Um, chris, can we come in?" Derek asks.

Chris looks sheepish for a moment.

"Sorry boys, old habits die hard.  Please come in."

Stiles and Derek walk into the living room, followed by Chris.  The whole pack is there, and apparently it's appetizer night as there are 8 or 9 different appetizers all over the coffee table and end tables.

When Chris goes to the kitchen to get drinks, Stiles leans forward and stage whispers "Awkward!"

Allison throws Cheetos at him.

Stiles rubs his hands together.  "Alright, lets get this monkey show started!  No offence, Scott."

Stiles dodges another handful of Cheetos.

 

**********

 

Stiles' commentary begins.

 

"Oooooah Danny, not only is your counterpart character named Danny, but he is gay as well.  Do they have, like, a psychic working on the set of The Covenant with a link into our lives?  And, dude, why is HE, and I mean the show's Danny, practically sitting on the lap of one of the other coven's witches?"

 

"Scott, what's wrong with Pogue?  You should know, but you and he are INCONGRUOUS:  lacking in harmony; out of place.  By the way, I'm hilarious."

 

"HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO POGUE'S SIDE?"  Stiles flails so bad he falls out of Derek's lap and onto the floor.

 

All movement and rustling in the room full stops.  Everyone looks at Stiles, and Stiles' large amber eyes are larger than anyone has ever seen.

 

" That's just not true,"  Stiles whispers.  " Pogue's just wrong.  Caleb can't be dead."

 

Derek and Scott look at each other, the panic large in their eyes.

 

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

 

Noone talks for a long while.

 

Very quietly, " Pogue's not healing because he feels bad about Caleb dying.  Could someone please tell me why Karl doesn't seem to give a flying fuck about this?  This makes no sense."  Even quieter, " I'm so confused.  Karl obviously loves Caleb."

 

Toward the end of the episode, Stiles puts on a good face.  " There's no way Caleb's dead!"

 

And then...

 

"Excellent!  I knew he wasn't dead!"

 

And then...

 

" Wait a minute, what the fuck!  Where did that bitch come from and why would Caleb go to HER?  Seriously?"

 

 


	6. Motel California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek has the next pack meeting at his loft. drama ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A panic attack occurs in this chapter. OF course there's that in THIS chapter. Also, this was really difficult to write and it made me cry. I'm just saying.Hey kids, writing chapter 7. I saw everything up to this chapter, and considering I still haven't seen eps. 10, 11, and 12, things are up in the air, but finally, I have a vision. This vision will probably be wrecked by these episodes, but still. A VISION! Please forgive me, as I can't predict the episodes, so. Will do my best juggling my AU, Teen Wolf Season 3 and The Covenant. At least give props, I'm nothing if not ambitious!

School had come to a close a few weeks earlier, and everyone was busy enjoying their summer, while also getting ready to go away to school with a rapidly diminishing amount of time. Most of them, excluding Lydia and Jackson, also had summer jobs. Scott continued working for Deaton. Isaac continued working at the cemetery, despite it reminding him of his family. Boyd still rode the Zamboni ( and oh did Stiles find saying that sooooo amusing). Danny was a lifeguard at the Beacon Hills public pool, and Erica worked there as well selling admissions and concessions. Stiles had what he considered the best job of all. He was employed at the only comic book store in the county.

He was working a Sunday afternoon shift when Derek and Lydia wandered in. A look of horror crossed Stiles' face when he saw the two of them together, because, seriously, the two of them together?

"Oh my God, who died? What happened? The Loch Ness monster in the preserve? Sasquatch? Unicorns? Dementors? Fuck, it's Dementors isn't it?"

Lydia examined her nails. Derek rolled his eyes. She looked up from her nails and skewered Stiles with her laser-like gaze.

"No Stiles, the world isn't coming to an end just because Derek and I are spending some quality time together."

"Seriously Lydia? Because I'm pretty sure that's EXACTLY what that means!"

"Stiles!" Derek huffs.

Stiles puts his mischievous/sexy face on. "What ya doin', Derek?"

Lydia's own personal eyebrow of doom goes up. "Stiles, I know you think that's your mischievous/sexy face, but it's really, really not."

Stiles flails and falls back from the counter he'd been leaning on. "Hey lydia, I'll have you know that when I use this face on Derek while we're having alone time he-"

"Finish that sentence Stilinski and I will finish you!"

Derek, meanwhile, has turned 3 different shades of red.

Lydia sighs. "While discussing your and Dereks' sex life interests me not at all, we're actually here to discuss this week's pack meeting."

"Oh," Stiles says. "Hey, about that guys, it was just Comic Con, so the boss is running a huge 3-day-over-the-weekend-sale, so could we find a different night this week? I'm needed here tomorrow."

Derek shrugs. "I'll send out a mass text to see if we could make it happen another night. Also, whatever night it falls on I was thinking we could do it at the loft this week."

Stiles gapes like a goldfish. Lydia reaches her hand across the counter and closes his mouth. "Yes stiles, that's why we're together. I know, Derek never does social nights at the loft but since everybody is leaving soon he thought it would be a nice gesture. You know, him taking care of his pack and all. Derek, unlike some plaid wearing people I know, has actually learned his limitations and knows when to ask for help. That's where I come in."

Stiles is quiet. Then he leans forward and stage whispers "Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"

Derek glares.

**********

The meeting is on Thursday. Stiles' curiosity about what Lydia and Derek have achieved together knows no bounds. Being that Derek has never hosted a fun, social gathering before, everyone is invited, including the Sheriff, Melissa, and Chris Argent.

Stiles and his dad come together, Stiles practically vibrating out of his skin with excitement. The Sheriff puts a hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"Son, you need to calm down."

"Daaaaaaaad, you know that's not going to happen."

"Stiles-"

"No dad, and do you know what else isn't happening tonight?"

The Sheriff glances at his son.

"You eating fried food. I seriously don't know what Derek and Lydia concocted for food, but you know the rules."

"But Stiles-"

"No buts, dad. And that's final. I'm leaving soon, and I'll have no control over what you eat so I'm going to take any opportunity to regulate while I can."

The Sheriff notices that Stiles is actually getting seriously agitated. "Stiles, I'm fine. My last physical was only 3 months ago and apparently I'm in great shape."

Stiles' breathing is way too rapid. "Dad you know it runs in the family, and after mom I just can't-"

The Sheriff pulls his son into a hug. A very manly hug. "It's okay, Stiles. I know, believe me, I know. I promise. I'll take care of myself while you're gone."

Stiles' breathing calms. "Oh, I know you will. Derek is like, the best creeper of all time and he's already promised me that he'll be following you around town."

Stiles pulls away from his father with his best shit-eating grin, and then rings the doorbell before his father has a chance to respond.

Lydia opens the door holding a cocktail tray bearing drinks with little purple floating flowers.

"Oh ha ha Lydia that is fucking hilarious." Stiles deadpans. The Sheriff looks confused.

They walk into the loft, and holy shit Lydia had entirely redecorated. No longer was the loft gothic/industrial/functional. Now it was warm and inviting, with couches, candles, throw pillows and wall hangings. Throw pillows! Also, the hole in the wall had been repaired.

The pack is lounging around and everyone calls out greetings. Derek comes out of the kitchen and shakes the Sheriff's hand. "Welcome, Sheriff."

"Hale. Looks like, well, nothing like what Stiles had described."

Derek shrugs, and then simultaneously he and Stiles say "Lydia."

Weirdly, Derek is avoiding looking at Stiles.

"Why don't you two come into the kitchen and help yourselves to some food?" Derek grasps Stiles' elbow and walks them through a door. Stiles gasps when he sees the table.

Derek had obviously had this night catered, and catered specifically for Stiles. Or, well, his dad. All of the food was health food. No red meat, nothing fried and an abundance of fruits and vegetables.

The Sheriff looks slightly put out, but Stiles grabs his boyfriend and squeals "You love me, you really love me!"

Very quietly, Derek whispers into his ear, "Yeah, I really do." He pulls away from Stiles and looks into his eyes. "Sorry Sheriff, but I know how much he worries about you, and he's leaving soon, so..."

"I get it Derek, it's fine."

Stiles is studying Derek's face, and while everything is going great, something is off. Stiles dad grabs a plate, fills it with food and wanders over to Melissa.

"Derek, is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine Stiles, why?"

"Seriously, because your face very subtly says otherwise."

Derek is quiet.

"Stiles, can I make a request?"

"Sure sourwolf."

"Well, Lydia and I went to a lot of effort to pull this off, and everyone looks like they're having a good time, so maybe can we watch the show some other night?"

"Oh buddy, I'd do almost anything for you, but this show aired 3 days ago and it';s taken all of my miniscule self-control not to cheat and watch it already. No dice."

Derek's shoulders fall.

"Okay," he says quietly.

Dinner and hanging out continue, and Derek's first ever sponsored social event is a resounding success.

Then-

"Hey guys, let's get to this Week's "The Covenant!" Stiles proclaims brightly.

**********

Stiles' commentary proceeds.

"Ooooooh guys we totally need to find that motel so ROADTRIP! Also, shotgun to the face dead guy has awesome 70's porn facial hair! What, dad, it was for research!"

"Scott, I know that there are similarities between Pogue and you but thank God the Star Wars thing isn't one of them. Right? Right Scott? Scott? Dammit Scott!"

"Will someone please kill that stupid teacher already? She's ruining my life."

By this point Derek has pulled Stiles into his lap and has draped himself over Stiles' back, almost protectively.

"Allison? That creepy scene where Pogue creeps on Kate in the shower? Please tell me Scott doesn't do stuff like that." The aforementioned throw pillows are put to their named use as Scott, Allison, and her dad launch multiple projectiles at Stiles.

"Seriously? Can't that teacher get her hands off of Caleb? And why would he let her put her head on his chest? And did she just say something about exactly how she imagined their first date? Caleb bleeding everywhere and on the verge of death? That's one fucked up bitch!"

Stiles' heartrate was beginning to rise, and Derek pulls him in tighter. The pack does it's best to sneak glances at him, and he notices.

"Guys, stop looking at me." Stiles grinds his teeth, and Derek buries his face in Stiles' neck.

Minutes later, anxiety comes from an entirely different quarter as Reid, the character everyone associates with Isaac, hallucinates himself getting locked in a freezer. Isaac's face goes ashen. Scott quietly slips to his left side and Erica to his right as they both grasp his hands.

Then Pogue hallucinates his mom getting her throat ripped out and Melissa and Allison can't get to Scott fast enough.

Stiles whimpers. By this point more than a few members of the pack have tears in their eyes. They'd been watching the show for 3 seasons, committing themselves to these characters, so of course all of this has affected them. That's when Derek realizes that it wasn't just Stiles having anxiety about going away for school. 

A couple of minutes later Stiles snorts. "Of course Danny's gonna get to have fun this episode. Nice nipple, Danny."

A little while later the shit really hits the fan.

Stiles very quietly whispers, "Derek, they're kissing. Please make them stop." The tears are flowing freely by this point. "Caleb would never cheat on Karl. Please don't ever cheat on me."

Tears well up in Derek's eyes.

And then...

"Scott! SCOTT! Why would Pogue, why would he do that to Karl, why would you do that to ME or to ALLISON or to YOUR MOM!" Derek can't restrain Stiles as he flings himself to Scott and latches onto his best friend, sobbing. There isn't a dry eye in the room.

The sobs grow worse, and Derek and the Sheriff realize that Stiles has gone into a full blown panic attack. Derek picks Stiles up from his deathgrip on Scott and carries him to the master bedroom. He looks over his shoulder to the Sheriff.

"Stiles is staying here tonight. Would you please make sure everyone gets home safely?"

The Sheriff nods.


	7. Currents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone realizes that something is going wrong with the television show. Deaton gets involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naw, guys, things are cool.
> 
> BTW, if Dylan O'Brien were gay, he would totally be an otter. Just saying. If you don't agree, just watch the New Girl episode he appeared in this last season.

Stiles wakes up in Derek's bed the next morning, almost more tired than he was when Derek finally got him calmed down enough to sleep. He wakes up as Derek's little spoon.

"Derek, are you awake?"

"Yeah," Derek whispers into the back of Stiles neck.

"You cheated, didn't you? I mean, not on me, but you watched the episode before last night."

"Yeah," Derek says. "Everything for the party was set up and I had some time, and I was worried about how you're reacting to this show, so, yeah, I watched the show."

Stiles sighs.

"And I'm not sorry," Derek says. "I love you, and it's my job to protect you."

Stiles is quiet. Then, "Why do I feel that you protecting me about this is justified? That I'm under attack?"

Derek is quiet. "I wouldn't have agreed with you until last night. I thought you were just adjusting to your insecurities about leaving for school. Now I don't so much feel YOU are under attack, I feel WE are under attack. All of us."

Stiles rolls over and wraps his arms around Derek's neck. "I know your first reaction is going to be 'hey ADHD mole boy, stop watching that show,' right? I don't think that's a good idea, though. Something's going on here, and I think we need to figure it out."

Derek sighs. "Why did I know you would say that?"

**********

An hour later, the flashing red light/emergency klaxon goes off as Stiles falls naked out of Derek's bed, Derek wolfing out on top of him protectively. 

Thinking of the alarm and the loft, Stiles groans. "Once again, how does that show parallel our lives so closely?"

The door to the apartment opens and Isaac strolls in, with the entire pack behind him.

Derek had not bothered to shut his bedroom door, so, BUSTED!

"Stiles! How could you do this to me?' Scott bellows.

"Screw you buddy, you all walked into my boyfriend's place-"

"Hey, my place too." Isaac interjects.

"Yeah," Stiles replies, "But you just walk in, with, like everyone except for my dad (thanks for that by the way) and so now you get to deal with Full Frontal Stilinski!"

Stiles stands up completely unashamedly. He then drags Derk up next to him. "Also, check out this hot piece of werewolf man meat that I scored! I rule!" Stiles fist pumps.

Scott flees, Lydia is not ruffled, Erica giggles, Boyd could give a shit less, Allison LOL's, and Isaac runs to his bedroom muttering under his breath something about mom and dad having sex in front of him. 

"Fuck you, Isaac, I'm not your mom! Hellloooooo, no vagina here! And also, why did I assume that you think of me as mom? Maybe you think of Derek as mom! He did birth you as a werewolf!"

Jackson picks this moment to walk in behind everyone else and sneers at the naked guys. "Nice try Stilinski, you totally have a vagina. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Lydia hits Jackson on the nose with the morning newspaper.

"Seriously, Lydia?" Jackson rears back.

"Jackson, we have some important issues to discuss here." She focuses on Stiles and Derek. "Boys, get dressed. We have some things to figure out."

"Okay, mom," Stiles mutters. Even more quietly, "She totally has a vagina. A man eating, soul crushing, life sucking-"

"Stiles!" Lydia screeches. "Remember the molotov cocktails we burned Peter to death with? Twice?"

Stiles nods.

Lydia says nothing else, and Derek and his boyfriend scramble for their clothes.

**********

Breakfast consists of coffee, toast, some bacon, sausage, eggs, cake, orange juice, milk. Shit, the pack needed a lot of food.

"Alright, everybody, do we acknowledge that there's something going on here?" Stiles takes the metaphorical gavel.

There's a general chorus of yes's.

"Okay, what's the plan?"

Silence.

Derek speaks up, taking the initiative from Stiles. "Obviously, Deaton is the first place to start."

Lydia speaks up, "Agreed."

"When?" Stiles asks.

Quiet. Then, "We should wait until we can watch the next episode, to, you know, gather information." Silence follows as everyone's eyebrows go up.

"Scott," Stiles says, "That may be the smartest thing you've ever said. No put down, dude, but seriously. Great Idea! Also, we might want to wait to talk to him, but maybe Danny should put the episodes on a portable drive, give that to you to give to Deaton so when we do talk, he'll have a frame of reference."

Derek looks around the room for confirmation, and receives it. "It's a plan," he says.

**********

The pack meeting is set for the following Monday. Deaton will be dealt with on Tuesday. Seriously dealt with.

**********

Stiles' commentary proceeds.

**********

Except it doesn't....

**********

"Fuck no, we are not telling my dad!"

Allison pauses the show before it even actually starts.

"Stiles, be reasonable, we need to tell your dad, Scott's mom, and Allison's father." Derek repeats.

"No Derek, he's okay with all of this now, but that's only because he found out after all the awful shit that went down a while back. If he gets involved now, right before I go away to school knowing how unsettled I am about it, I don't know how he'll react." Stiles closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

The room is quiet.

"Derek, can we please just wait to make this decision until after we talk to Deaton tomorrow?"

Right at that moment, the alarm goes off and everyone tenses up. The Front gate opens and Deaton walks in. He glances around the loft.

"I've watched all of the episodes, and we definitely need to talk about this show and what's going on. I understand you are about to watch the next episode?" He directs this question to Scott.

"Yeah," Scott replies.

Stiles leans over Derek, whispering into his ear, "Dude, how the Hell did he get inside your Gate Of Doom?"

"I seriously am frightened of the answer to that question," Derek whispers back.

Deaton addresses the Alpha. "Derek, may I join your pack for this meeting? I know we were going to do this tomorrow, but I think the sooner, the better. After we've watched, we all should talk."

A pregnant pause occurs. "Okay," Derek answers.

"Hey Doc," Scott interjects. Deaton glances at his employee. "You might want to be warned about watching this show with Stiles. He kinda keeps a running commentary about what's going on, and he tends to get a little emotional."

The ENTIRE room collectively snorts, but Deaton just looks at Stiles with curiosity. 

"That surprises me not at all." He replies.

Stiles doesn't know what to do with this, so he just gestures to Allison to continue the show.

**********

Stiles commentary proceeds. Again.

"God, Danny, you just puked up pearl onions stewed in milk! Totally gross! Why would you eat that?"

"Killed by moths? That's embarassing, wait a minute, what the Hell was that in the back seat?"

Deaton glances at Stiles cryptically. Stiles realizes that if anyone can actually glance at someone cryptically, it's Deaton.

As they're watching the episode, Danny almost dies.

"Allison, please pause the DVR," Derek requests. He gets up and walks over to Danny and places a hand on the boy's shoulder. Danny, meanwhile, had gone very pale and was trembling quietly. "Danny, I realize you got brought into this only after things were bad, and I realize now is the first time you are experiencing how bad stuff can get. You are Pack. Something is going on with this show, but we ALL have your back. You will be okay." Danny noticeably calms, and nods his head in thanks to his Alpha. Derek returns to Stile's side. 

Stiles didn't think he'd ever been more proud of his boyfriend.

Deaton quietly observed the interaction with detached interest.

"Oh my God! Sleeping Pogue and sleeping Reid watching over Pogue's mom is just the most adorable thing I've ever seen! I think there was drooling! Isaac, you can drool on me whenever you want!"

Derek's eyes flash red and a growl slips out. "Jeez Sourwolf, I was kidding." Derek nips him on the neck. Stiles rolls in Derek's lap like the otter he is.

Ten minutes later, everything goes to Hell in a handbasket. Gorman, Caleb's advisor, get's kidnapped and hung up in a bank vault for dead. For some reason he calls Pogue, not Caleb. 

The Pack is glued to what is going on. All eyes swivel to Deaton, who remains guarded.

Minutes later, Stiles flips out.

"NO NO NO NO NO!"

"Stiles!" Derek wraps himself around his boyfriend.

"Something's wrong, Derek! I feel my Spark and it hurts!"

Derek holds his Stiles as tight as possible. Stiles' eyes roll back in his head.

In a voice not his, he intones, "Erica died before this season started. Boyd dies now."

Everyone recognizes this voice. It was the voice of the British actor that played the blind witch that was the Big Bad on "The Covenant" this season.

Erica and Boyd drop soundlessly.


	8. Visionary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go to Hell in a handbasket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry. The Chase thing...you all knew my feelings about Season 3 from the start, so just saying.

Deaton moves into action. 

“Scott, Isaac, grab Erica and Boyd and lay them on the floor. Derek, you’re not going to like this, but you need to scratch Stiles somewhere badly enough to draw blood.”

Chaos has descended upon the room. The meeting had occurred again at Derek’s loft, so as to avoid the parents being involved. Lydia goes for the first aid kit, since she’s now quite familiar with the loft’s layout. Danny, Allison, and Jackson go for blankets, pillows, and water bottles. Derek is holding his boyfriend, trembling in fear.

“Derek!” Deaton commands. “I need you to focus and do what I say!”

Derek shifts instantly and roars at Deaton like the Alpha he is, red eyes threatening. All movement in the room stops.

“Derek, please.” Deaton calmly requests. “It has to be you. He’ll only come back if it’s you.”

Derek’s eyebrows slowly reappear, as his pointy ears disappear. However, his claws do not withdraw. He lifts Stiles’ shirt and scratches a line across Stiles’ heart. The look on his face is devastating. 

Stiles shudders. Moments later he slowly opens his eyes, the deeply brown colored irises practically glowing.

“Derek, what’s happening to me?” he wails forlornly, and then promptly collapses, unconscious.

 

“Scott, you need to call your mother and ask her to bring medical equipment that will keep two people alive who are currently unconscious.” Deaton directs. “Derek,” Deaton addresses the Alpha. No response. “Derek!” he says insistently when the werewolf doesn’t reply. Derek looks up at Deaton, with a completely lost expression on his face. “We need someplace to keep Erica and Boyd comfortable for what might be quite some time. You need to put Stiles down and come and help us. Stiles will be rejoining us fairly shortly. I think Erica and Boyd will not.”

Derek has no words.

He lays Stiles out on the couch and goes to prepare the spare bedroom.

Scott and Isaac carry the couple into the room and places them down on the bed. The pack removes their clothes down to their underwear and makes them as comfortable as possible in between the sheets and blankets. Their faces look almost peaceful next to each other on top of their pillows.

Melissa chooses this moment to both set off the alarm and bust through the gate. Unfortunately, she doesn’t come alone. The Sheriff and Chris Argent follow in her wake.

“Fuck!” Derek, Scott, and Allison all mutter under their breaths.

Stiles dad sees his son unconscious on the couch, shirtless, chest bleeding. “Stiles? Stiles? Stiles!” he screams and then rushes to his boy’s side.

Deaton looks around. “Melissa,” he addresses the nurse authoritatively, “Scott requested some things, please bring them. Sheriff, please calm down. Stiles will be awake shortly. Allison, you need to tell your dad everything that happened tonight. Lydia, please tend to Stiles wound.” Lydia had returned with the first aid kit.

Everyone in the room looks between Deaton and Derek questioningly.

“NOW!” The veterinarian says with command in his voice. 

“DO IT!” Derek yells, repeating Deaton’s command in his Alpha voice.

Melissa tends to Erica and Boyd who have been made as comfortable as possible in the spare bedroom. She inserts I V’s into their arms as Derek looks on. He hesitates, then instructs Isaac and Scott to go get the full moon chains to tie them up.

“Seriously Derek?” Melissa asks.

“Yes seriously.” He replies. “Deaton said that they might not wake up for a while, we don’t know what’s going on, and somebody outside my pack is influencing us in a fucked up way. You’re human, so is Stiles, Lydia, Danny, Allison, and the Sheriff. What if Erica and Boyd wake up being controlled by someone else? Or wake up feral? Any of you could get killed.”

Chris Argent witnesses this conversation across the room, raises an eyebrow at the other parents and says matter of factly, “It has to be this way.”

Derek has returned to Stiles’ side, and resumes holding him protectively. The Sheriff knows better than to interrupt, so he just slides onto the floor next to the couch and grasps at both of the boys with concern. “Deaton, what’s going on?” The Sheriff asks. Derek continues holding Stiles to his chest and rocks him comfortingly. Moments later, Stiles gasps loudly, opens his eyes and starts sobbing.

Deaton approaches Derek cautiously. “Derek.” The vet addresses the werewolf. “Emissary.” He replies. The Alpha has tears in his eyes. “ Derek, put Stiles to sleep. You have this ability. I may be your emissary now, but the truth is I was your family’s emissary, and Stiles will be yours. Just will him to sleep, and then we will talk about what happened here tonight. Please. You can do this. For all of us, and for Stiles.”

Derek holds his boyfriend, and caresses his hair gently. The tension in the room decreases, albeit slowly. Stiles moves into unconsciousness, and Derek lays him on the couch, puts a pillow under his head, and covers him with a blanket. Derek’s eyes turn red as he looks up at Deaton and he commands, “ Alright, talk.”

 

“ Do you remember the movie that this show is based on?” Deaton asks. Derek nods. “Yeah, but we haven’t watched it in years. Stiles liked the show more, so we all kinda just discarded the movie, and stopped thinking about it.”

Deaton sighs. “ A few years back, there was an emissary that went bad, what we call a Darach, a dark Druid. He killed his parents and took their power. His name was Chase Putnam, but he went by Chase Collins. In the movie, the bad witch was named Chase Putnam. The emissaries didn’t recognize what the real life Chase Putnam was doing, and he was responsible for a lot of death. We thought we killed him…and obviously we were wrong. It appears he survived, and went looking for an Alpha and more power. That last episode of “The Covenant”, “Currents”, wasn’t wrong. Beacon Hills is THAT place, which is why the Hale pack made it their home and territory. The Hale pack for decades has been the premiere supernatural power and regulatory institution over the power currents running underneath Beacon Hills. These currents can be used by an Emissary and a werewolf pack for great good. Unfortunately, it can also be used for evil, and I think that is what’s going on.”

Lydia looks baffled for a moment, then her face slowly rearranges itself in understanding, in horror. “OH MY GOD JED DONNIS IS CHASE PUTNAM!” 

Deaton surveys the room. “ I wish you all would have come to me about this show sooner.”

“Doc, we literally just this week figured out that there was something wrong between us and this show!” Scott replies.

“Yes Scott, but still, this is Stiles.”

“Exactly! It’s Stiles! You know how excited he gets about things. It didn’t really seem all that out of the ordinary.”

“ NO Scott, it’s Stiles. He’s a spark. He has the ability to manipulate matter and energy with just his thoughts and emotions. My guess is, we’ll find that the show creator, Jedd Donnis, who as Lydia so quickly figured out is probably Chase Putnam, found an exceptionally powerful Alpha. I researched the actor, Gideon Emery, who plays the leader of the bad witches, and, well, I can’t find out anything about him. I suspect he’s an Alpha, and they’re playing him blind on the show so they don’t have to show his eyes without contacts. Wolves don’t photograph on film well, as we all know.”

The room is very quiet.

Deaton has everyone’s attention. “ Derek,” The vet addresses the werewolf. “ They’re trying to take the Hale territory in order to get access to the telluric currents under Beacon Hills. Does anyone know what sympathetic vibration is?”

Of course, Lydia promptly replies. “ It’s when two things are so similar that when something happens to one of the things, something similar happens to the other.”

“Exactly. It’s taken a movie and two seasons to create a show with characters that you all would respond to as if they were YOU, Stiles most of all. They’ve created incredible similarities, and undoubtedly they’ve procured personal effects and DNA from everyone. Stiles is a spark, will eventually be your emissary, and is in a committed relationship with the Alpha of Beacon Hills, so all of the Hale pack is connected to him. They’re using Stiles as a witchdoctor and “The Covenant” as a voodoo doll. You all are synced up with the show, so now whenever they do something bad to one of the show’s characters, your corresponding character becomes vulnerable. I’m afraid they’ve just begun to veer away from your actual lives, well being, and relationships.” 

The pack regards Deaton with horror.

As Deaton explains, Stiles wakes up completely unnoticed. 

“How do we undo this?” The newly conscious young man asks. The look on his face is beyond guilt-stricken.

Deaton sighs. “ That is half the question. The other half is what do we do about the two who have created this situation?”

 

The pack goes into a whirlwind mode of research and preparation. Erica and Boyd are made as comfortable as possible for what might be an extended period of unconsciousness. Derek’s loft becomes base for the pack and the pack’s parents. Food, weapons, and medical supplies are stocked. Everyone goes on a permanent extended emergency alert status. 

The next episode is approaching. Everyone braces themselves. Deaton offers the clinic for viewing. Stiles objects.

“Fuck you, Doc, I know things suck, but at least we always have fun at these things!” 

Deaton sighs. “ Stiles, the office is one of the most protected places in Beacon Hills. Please. Also, Stiles, I think the fun is over.”

Stiles gives in, obviously against his will. “Hey Deaton, I know things kinda suck right now, but I’m gonna still be me and whatever is going on, they can’t take that away from me. So, please, everyone, I know my jokes may seem inappropriate in the face of what we’re dealing with, but it’s my way, okay?” 

 

The pack gathers at the clinic, and everyone is included. The Sheriff had procured the transport van (the one Scott and Stiles had chained Jackson up in) to bring Erica and Boyd. It feels like command central in a sci-fi or war movie, tech and weapons being included. Before the episode begins, Lydia says softly, “Incoming.”

Stiles commentary ensues.

“Well, fuck me sideways it’s a flashback episode,” Stiles exclaims, groaning. “Oh my God Derek you were adorable when you were a teen!”

Minutes in, Chris Argent gasps as actual history unfolds. He glances at Derek. “Did Peter save you, like Caleb’s mom’s brother saved him that night?”

Quietly Derek replies. “Yeah. But seeing this I now know that Peter went bad way before we knew.”

A few minutes later – “Derek?” Stiles asks. The wolf pushes Stiles away and wraps his arms and legs about himself, rocking back and forth, and Stiles knows that Deaton was right. The fun is gone. 

The shit continues to hit the fan.

“Derek, Caleb’s first love was a girl named Paige. I know about Kate, but she was your first girl, right? Right?”

Derek doesn’t meet Stiles’ gaze.

“Derek, did you have a first love, a high school girlfriend? Derek? What happened?”

Derek doesn’t respond and Allison pauses the DVR.

“Stiles,” Deaton addresses the Hale Pack’s next emissary. “ Focus. There will be truths revealed that make us uncomfortable. They have to make this close enough to actual history to be able to use this against us. You are the Spark and the connection. You need to stop emotionally responding and you need to separate yourself from what they are presenting. Their truths are misleading. They are using them to make you doubt the pack and your relationship with Derek. We’ll straighten this out after the episode is over.”

Stiles regards Derek, questions in his eyes. Derek unwraps his arms from his knees and reaches for his boyfriend. “ We’ll talk after this. I Love You, and if this is going where I think it’s going, I’m so sorry. I should have told you.”

Stiles octopuses Derek. “ It’ll be okay. I trust you. I love you. We will deal.”

A moment later Stiles looks over at the pack, all of whom are looking anywhere but at the duo. 

“Guys, I know you’ve been watching. You’re such voyeurs, but we were just snuggling, no sexy times involved. Seriously, you’re all perverts. Except for Dad. And maybe Melissa and Chris. Also maybe Deaton. I suspect all four of you might need your brains bleached after that display of unbridled affection.”

Some of the tension breaks as groans erupt from everyone in the clinic. 

They restart the show.

Stiles watches in horror as Caleb’s uncle convinces him to let another powerful witch try to infuse power into Caleb’s girlfriend. Derek tries to withdraw from Stiles, but Stiles doesn’t allow it. He draws his boyfriend in tighter. 

The pack witnesses Caleb’s girlfriend’s body rejecting the power. Extreme pain follows , and Caleb’s uncle convinces him that he needs to use his magic to put her out of her misery.

Derek sobs into Stiles side. “ Peter convinced me to find an Alpha to bite her. I wasn’t in love but I loved her, I was confused and wanted her to be a part of our life. It didn’t take, and then Peter…She was in pain. I loved her and I had to end it.

“Shhhh, it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out. Everything will be okay and we will make everyone safe. Shhhhh. I swear.”


	9. The Girl Who Knew Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson have a conversation. Stiles, the Sheriff and Deaton have a conversation. A confrontation occurs through the television.

Fucking Peter is just…fucking Peter. Stiles takes vicious pleasure in the fact that he burned that fucker to death twice…after he’d already been almost burned to death in the original fire. Fucker. 

The Pack descends on Stiles and Derek. The adults, the boys, the girls, everyone. The tangle of limbs is impossible. The pile includes the wolves, the humans, the Sheriff, Melissa and Chris Argent. For the first time, everyone was physically on the same page, surrounding Stiles and Derek protectively. After a while, Derek quiets, still clinging to Stiles.

“Hey guys,” Stiles says quietly. “This is great, but we’re in a veterinary clinic, and this probably isn’t the greatest place for spending the night, so…..”

The pack peels themselves off in layers. Melissa interjects. “Everyone, we have the transport van and Erica and Boyd, so could some of you help me transport them back to the loft?” 

Scott, Chris, Isaac and Allison step up. They load up the couple, and leave, headed for Derek’s. Danny, Lydia, and Jackson approach the remaining pack members. Lydia has the softest expression she has ever had on her face. “Stiles, Derek, can we do anything?”

Derek has calmed and Stiles keeps soothing his boyfriend, but a stark realization hits the young man. “No Lydia, go home and be safe. I need to talk to my dad, Derek, and Deaton alone.”

Lydia looks deeply at one of the only people on the planet she would give her life for. “Stiles?”

“No Lydia, I need to talk to them.”

“Okay, Stiles, we trust you.”

“Love you too, Lyds.” Danny, Lydia, and Jackson begin to leave, and then Hell freezes over as Jackson veers away from his beeline to the door and scoops Stiles up into his arms, stealing him from Derek and burying his nose into Stiles’ neck, sniffing loudly. 

Stiles almost goes into shock, expecting Derek to wrap Jackson’s intestinal organs around himself like jewelery. Instead, Derek looks on rumbling with contentment. “Stilinski,” Jackson whispers into Stiles’ ear, as he pulls his head back, exposing his neck to Stiles. Stiles looks at his boyfriend in confusion, but Derek nods at him in encouragement. Stiles knows what to do, given years of werewolf research, he just never pictured a scenario of this kind that involved Jackson. Delicately, he moves into Jackson’s neck and bites. Hard. Jackson shudders, and passes Stiles back to his boyfriend, a bruise quickly forming.

Danny and Lydia don’t look surprised at all. They look smugly at each other. Lydia elbows Danny and whispers, “See, I told you he always was acting.” Jackson looks ashamed and embarrassed. Derek releases Stiles and moves to embrace his beta. “Jackson, you have a place of honor in my pack. Always. You have grown so much, and your recognition of Stiles, well, you were the first. Scott hasn’t even figured it out yet.”

Jackson looks to his Alpha. Derek holds him and gives him honest confidence through his touch. A light opens in Jackson’s eyes as he realizes he’s wanted, faults and all. He looks over at Lydia and Danny, suddenly realizing that tears are rolling down their faces. “Hey guys,” he says to his girlfriend and best friend, “Let’s go home. “

 

After the trio leave, Stiles rubs his eyes, not sure if he had teared up because of Jackson or the new realization of who exactly he was in relationship to Derek. He looks down at his feet. “Focus, Stilinski, focus.” He whispers as quietly as possible.

He looks at his father. “Dad?” 

“Yes son?”

“Sometimes I forget that Karl’s dad is in law enforcement. Kinda like you.”

The Sheriff looks puzzled. “What about it, Stiles?”

“Dad, you might be safe here in Beacon Hills, but what’s going on in ‘The Covenant’ means you might be open for attack…”

“Stiles, my character seems fine, but, Deaton, what do you think?”

“Sheriff, quite a few measures need to be taken to protect all of us, and to be honest, this late in the game, nothing is going to cover all of our bases. Still, there are things to be done that will help. I will need Stiles to work with me every day until this is dealt with, and it will not be pleasant for him.”

“What do you mean?” the Sheriff questions.

Deaton sighs. “Well, every day doesn’t just mean every day, it means ALL of every day.” The Sheriff and Stiles look at each other and nod in grim agreement. “Also,” Deaton acknowledges, “I need to train Stiles defensively, of course, but what you might not like is that I need to train him in offensive techniques. This won’t end until we take Putnam out, as well as the Alpha werewolf helping him.”

The Sheriff starts to object. “Deaton, I don’t think that’s…”

Stiles interrupts, jaw clenched with resolve. “Dad, I know the last thing you want is for me to feel guilty for doing harm to another person, but it’s MY PACK, and I will do anything to protect them, my family, my life, you, my mate!”

The room goes quiet. Stiles looks at his father and sighs. “Dad, I just realized tonight and there are so many more important things going on, so can we deal with that later?” The Sheriff nods. “Dad? I will seriously not look back once with regret if I use my abilities to protect MINE! Boyd and Erica are in a coma! I know you don’t want me to have this weight on my heart, but it already is. They are using my abilities against my family. So no arguments, father of mine. I’m an adult and with or without your permission I will do whatever I have to, even if it comes to killing to protect.” 

The Sheriff gazes on his son, eyes tearing slightly. 

Stiles regards his father. His expression softens. “Dad, I’m the conduit that they’re using to try to destroy us. There is no way that I will not be involved in taking them down.”

Stiles is abruptly pulled into a rough embrace.

“I love you son. You’re turning into an incredible man. Also, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but congratulations. I know, I know, that’s for later, but still.”

Derek and Deaton had pulled away from the emotional conversation occurring between father and son. Stiles considers Derek and Deaton over his father’s shoulder.

“Dad, Derek you should go home. Deaton, if you would, no time like the present.”

The vet nods. Stiles training begins.

 

The week goes by and the pack hardly sees Stiles. When they do, he has bags under his eyes and looks absolutely exhausted. He stays away from being with Derek alone, and when the wolf questions him about it, he says “Dude, this takes serious focus, and when I see you, all I think about is you. And your abs. And your stupid permanent facial scruff. And your awesome ass. Also, that other thing…” Stiles eyebrow wiggles at Derek. 

“Fine”, Derek huffs, frowning and somehow making sad face at the same time.

The night of the next episode is fast approaching. While training with Deaton the past week, Stiles had become increasingly uneasy. Something wrong is coming, and he has a suspicion what it might involve and decides to do something about it with some of his newly acquired abilities.

“Hey boss,” Stiles addresses Deaton. The vet looks at the young man questioningly. “I’ve been having some bad feelings about something, and I think you might be able to help me feel better.” He explains his feelings, and explains how he wants to address this particular problem.

The vet sighs. “I think you can manage this. You’ve learned and grown so fast that I’m feeling a bit guilty for not having started teaching you sooner. None of this changes the fact that if you do this, well, he’s not going to be happy with you.”

Stiles looks at his shoes. “I know. I know. But I think I can live with that.” He looks back up at Deaton with a grim look in his eyes.

 

The night arrives. The decision had been made to move the viewing nights back to Derek’s loft. For one, moving Erica and Boyd without drawing attention to their condition was almost impossible. For two, having the gathering there means that a large part of his training involved using what he was learning to protect the loft. Everyone gets comfortable before the show starts. There’s no DVR anymore, because if Stiles spark is being used to attack the pack, they can’t wait to watch the show.

Stiles approaches his father and draws him away from the gathering into one of the spare bedrooms. “Dad, this isn’t going to be pretty or easy. Shit’s going to go down. We’re at war. I kept you out of the last shitstorm, but you’re involved now.” Stiles wraps his hands around his father’s face. “Dad, you’re pack now, and I’m apparently the Alpha mate. Pack comes first for both Derek and I. These guys are smart and probably know they can’t go for Derek yet without screwing with the sympathetic vibrations. You will be the next on the list of priorities to attack to weaken me. I’m pretty sure that if anything happens to you I will literally fall apart, leaving the pack unprotected from the emissaries’ magic. They will know this, so I need you to not be involved anymore.”

The Sheriff rears back, away from his son. “Not optional, Stiles, I know you have abilities, but you have to swear to not…”

Stiles snorts and regards his father with absolute love in his eyes. “Dad, like you could enforce that oath.”

Stiles takes a couple of steps away from his father. “I may still need a lot of training, but I have learned a few things.” He reaches deep down into the telluric currents running underneath Beacon Hills, currents that he’d directed to run into and throughout the loft. He then reaches into his back pocket and throws his hand into the air. Mountain ash comes pouring out swirling around the Sheriff, raising a barrier for both werewolves and magic. Stiles Will solidifies as he leans forward, a hair from the Sheriff’s head in between his right hands’ thumb and index finger. The hair burns and the Sheriff falls. Stiles regards his father’s unconscious form with affection and resolve from across the room, then returns to the pack.

“Deaton,” he addresses the vet. Derek and the pack regard Stiles with astonishment. The wolves have heard everything, and smelled the mountain ash. “Yes Stiles?” Deaton queries. “He’ll be okay for a while, won’t he?” Stiles asks. “Yes.” Deaton answers. “Good.”Stiles answers, looking at his father’s sleeping body. “Okay, let’s get to work.”

The show begins. Stiles commentary ensues

“Oh my god they killed the anonymous black deputy? Hey, there was this speech from Jada Pinkett Smith in Scream 2…Also, they killed Boyd’s character, I’m smelling racism here.”

“Hey Lydia, you gotta love that Sara obviously has something going on, right? I mean, everyone keeps saying she’s something?”

As Karl’s conversation with his law enforcement father occurs onscreen, everyone continuously glances at Stiles. He doesn’t respond, just clenches his jaw. Derek does not approach his mate, sensing that this is not the time. Everyone can feel the low hum of the currents swirling around the loft, literally and figuratively. 

The tension in the room amps up as Reid and Kate begin to show obvious signs of sexual attraction. Scott looks confused at first, then starts glancing back and forth between Isaac and Allison. Everyone if uncomfortable, but no one says a word. Derek looks to Stiles to intervene, but his mate is so focused on what’s happening onscreen that he’s either oblivious, or simply does not care.

He cracks up, though, when Karl confronts the witch that’s been blowing Danny’s trumpet , telling him that he’ll “Break off an extra large branch of mountain ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe, and shove it up your freaking…” Stiles laughs so hard he falls off of the couch and onto the floor.

Stiles returns to the couch, and doesn’t make a single sound regarding Caleb and the teacher making out again. He also doesn’t look at Derek. 

A while later…

Karl uses chess pieces to explain to his dad about witches and their abilities. Stiles rolls his eyes, but doesn’t decrease his focus on the show. He’s obviously waiting for something. Everyone is on edge, watching their (future) emissary fret.

And then Karl and his father have an argument.  
The wolves hear Stiles whisper “Yeah, mom would have believed me…but dad DID believe me.” He glances over at the spare bedroom with his father, and continues to whisper. “Thanks dad. No matter what these two assholes throw at us, they can never take that away.”

Then everyone focuses on the show with laser like intensity as this episodes’ shit really hits the fan. 

Stiles surges to his feet, screaming. “Not only was that bitch fucking Caleb, she was fucking him over!”

Lydia gasps in pain as the teacher has Sara by the throat. Bruises begin to bloom around her neck. She chokes out “What did she say about Sara being a what?” Jackson grabs her and leaches away her pain.

Then everyone’s breathing stops as Karl’s father stumbles into the room, gun aimed at the woman. “Drop it!” he exclaims. Caleb’s girlfriend withdraws the knife from Sara’s neck and throws it at Karl’s dad, skewering him in the side. Pogue rushes to stop the teacher, only to be thrown to the side like a ragdoll.

The pack watches Karl as his dad is wrenched up and the knife is shoved farther into his chest while Jennifer crushes his Sheriff’s badge in triumph.

Stiles stands tall, looking at the television. Everyone is silent.

A buzz begins swirling around the boy’s head. He laughs.

“I hear both of you trying to get in. Emery’s voice…yeah, that’s not happening now. I saw it coming and guess what? My dad is safe so you assholes can go fuck yourselves! He’s off limits!” Stiles pushes back, hard. He feels pain and two consciousness’ screaming as they withdraw. “MINE” he mutters, under his breath. The room goes silent as the episode ends. “Also,” the boy exclaims, “Just keep trying to get between Derek and I, and Allison and Scott. Because that’s working like gangbusters you fuckwads.” He looks to Scott, Allison, and Isaac, all three of whom are clinging to each other for comfort.


	10. The Overlooked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so. I have been loosely basing these chapters on the related episodes of S03a. I started this fic way before S03a finished, so. Things are kinda rough, but I am trying to balance poodles on hula hoops with cats singing the Carmina Burana. Just saying. Forgive me?

“Are you sure you won’t help?!” Stiles yells at Deaton. 

“Stiles, I can’t.” Deaton replies. “I can still teach you, but I cannot actively be involved in this conflict. When you exerted your influence during the last episode, you effectively became Derek’s pack’s emissary. I’m no longer allowed to be in the middle of conflicts between wolves and Druids. If I interfere, I will permanently lose my powers, rendering me incapable of continuing to teach you. There are 3 more episodes, and I want to be able to help as I can.”

Stiles leaves the vet’s office in obvious frustration, knowing that he’s being unreasonable.

The pack spends the week in preparation, everyone knowing the stakes. Stiles works himself to exhaustion, and instead of the role of caregiver that everyone is used to, Stiles finds himself being taken care of. Derek trains the pack to exhaustion as well, not to be a dick, but because he wants everyone to be practically of one mind. He knows that this conflict might be physical, but more likely will take place in the minds, souls, and hearts of his relatively new family. They gain a focus unlike anything they’ve ever achieved, werewolves, humans, hunters, and one seriously focused and stressed out new Druid emissary.

The week progresses, and the night of the episode arrives.

The Sheriff is still out in the guest bedroom. Deaton assured Stiles that he didn’t need to I.V. his father because it was Stiles power that held him (practically) in suspended animation. Erica and Boyd, however, still needed this care, because their unconsciousness had been engineered by nefarious powers. 

All the prep work was done. Everyone settles in for battle.

The Lacrosse players all wear their uniforms, symbolically representing their unity and armor. The wolves put on their game faces, and everyone on the team pulls their helmets over their heads. Allison, Lydia, Chris, Melissa, and Danny look on with glowing painted sigils swirling across their faces. Derek reaches over and wraps his hand around his mates neck. Stiles regards the Alpha through his helmet. Derek’s eyes glow red in return.

“It’s go time,” Stiles says.

“Hey isn’t that from Buffy?” Scott asks.

“No Scott, well, maybe, but that was a very much too generic prompt, so maybe?”

Before anyone can comment, the episode begins, and Stiles’ commentary ensues. So does his strength of will to defeat the assholes attacking his pack.

Before anyone has time to react, hurricane force winds and life ending lightning crash down around Derek’s loft.

Stiles immediately extends his control over the telluric currents to protect the loft, and also to protect the electric power into the loft. They can’t fight back if they can’t actually watch the show. Stiles can feel resistance, but he overcomes it. The show continues, and for a while, things stabilize and the pack watches without interference. 

Something changes, and Stiles feels a thread of the currents get ripped away from his control.

Everyone watches as Pogue’s mom takes control of the emergency room. Chaos rules. Caleb’s sister is rapidly failing. The pack watches as Peter draws Pogue’s mom in to help his niece.

……

…..?

…..!

Reality stutters. The shock is palpable as the pack realizes that it is ACTUALLY PETER appearing on “The Covenant”.

Also, Caleb’s sister? Peter’s niece?

Everyone is quite aware that Laura is dead, but what if…..!

They all watch as Peter, Peter who was almost burned to death once, and then killed for appalling treachery two more times proceeds to do everything he can to preserve his nieces life. 

Derek screams out, “Stiles, that’s my uncle and my sister!”

Stiles groans in pain, realizing he has lost control of an important plot line. Everyone watching the conflict knows that Donnis and Emery are trying to form a reality that either doesn’t exist, or does and is being kept from the pack.

Derek’s sister (on screen) starts puking up Black Bean/Pearl Onion soup, and Stiles refocuses on the show. (Hopefully) Dead Peter looks on.

On screen, Caleb approaches the teacher that he’d been fucking and that had almost killed Lydia’s counterpart, also stabbing and kidnapping Karl’s father. 

Stiles reality stutters again as he feels his mate in his head. He watches Karl and Pogue walk around the corner of the room, Karl with tears pouring out of his eyes. Pogue throws a handful of mistletoe powder at Jennifer Blake, swirling around her head, revealing Jedd Donnis’ face to the pack watching in Derek’s loft.

Stiles feel satisfaction, knowing he picked the right playing field for this conflict. Everyone looks to him with a hopeful expression. Except Derek. Stiles frowns at that, not understanding, then he remembers Peter and Cora. His resolve falters, and when that occurs, he returns to watching the show and realizes that Karl’s father not only HAS been stabbed, but he’s been kidnapped. Shit. He glances over to his father, who is still in the spare bedroom. Shit. His father might still be here, but he lost a current of the storyline.

The battle of wills continue.

Stiles is conflicted. He has become emissary and newly promoted magical commander, and right now is completely focused. In the back of his mind, however, he can feel Derek floundering over whether or not Peter and Cora are alive.

The show continues. Karl and Pogue get to the hospital dragging Jennifer with them up to Cora’s room. The twin witches prevent them from getting to Cora, and during the following fight, Jennifer escapes.

Gideon Emery, the leader of the bad witches, rounds a corner of one of the hospital hallways, cane tap tap tapping, contacts intact so as not to lens flare. Everyone tenses up. Stiles casts his senses out along the currents surrounding his hometown.

Kate and Reid appear onscreen again, the unrequited sexual tension mesmerizing the pack. Scott and Isaac look at each other through their Lacrosse helmets, sadness infusing the quiet communication.

The awkwardness lasts for only a moment as the pack realizes that Pogue’s nurse mom is confronted by Gideon Emery, the blind leader of the enemy witches. 

Stiles begins babbling in panic. “Melissa, I’m so sorry, I could only seal one of you off, and I…”

Melissa interrupts Stiles ongoing panicked monologue. “Stiles! It’s okay. We’ll be okay! You are the one to fix this situation, so you need to concentrate! Focus.”

The storm continues to rage around the loft. Stiles watches the shitshow of the episode behind the grid of his Lacrosse helmet. He feels the telluric currents wash around him as he watches so much drama occur on screen. He attempts to influence events, but his power keeps slipping. He has enough power that nothing horrible happens, but he just can’t regain control.

Stiles feels the pull of the pack through his mate connection with Derek, and as the episode proceeds, the connection feels more and more fragile. He physically wraps himself around Derek. “Derek, stay with us. I need your Alpha power to fight our enemies! Derek, focus! We’ll deal with Peter and Cora later, but for now, those assholes are doing everything they can to use the telluric currents and my spark to weaken us and do actual physical harm to your pack!”

The pack has watched as Pogue has been beaten to within an inch of his life, as has Caleb. The damage consequently blooms across Scott and Derek’s bodies, only to fade because of Stiles power and their own werewolf healing abilities.

Then….

Jennifer, the teacher that had been fucking Caleb , finding him trapped with her in an elevator, begins to unrelentingly explain herself to him. Stiles focuses, and her face flashes back and forth between the actresses face, and Jedd Donnis’s. 

“I was an emissary, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more, but when the Druid council discovered my desire and actions, they attacked me. They thought I was dead, but I dragged myself to an altar of power. A few years previously, a wolf had sacrificed someone he loved at this altar, and the remaining power sustained me until I could recover enough strength to seek more power. This kept me alive long enough to be found.” Jennifer looks up at Caleb, memory in her eyes. Jedd Donnis’ face appears, unconscious, lying on the Druid altar with the Sheriff checking his pulse. Not Karl’s dad, Stiles’ dad.

Stiles howls, realizing that not only did Jedd Donnis get his power from Derek killing his first girlfriend (Peter’s ultimate responsibility), but also that his dad saved him from dying, setting up this life threatening confrontation.

**Author's Note:**

> Gonna be straight up honest about this. I have a lot of anger about season 3 and how the show runners have handled the Sterek relationship. This WIP fic is kinda my way of dealing with this. In January, I broke my ankle BADLY, and as I live alone, Sterek fic kinda kept my sane. So....apologies? Also, gonna be exactly as many chapters as the first half of S03.


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